What are the chances the Oilers get it right with their next d-men acquisitions?

Here is the conversation TSN play-by-play announcer Gord Miller had with hockey analyst Ray Ferraro at the end of the Oilers season:

Miller: “A lot of people are wondering, ‘Are the Oilers going to go into next season Klefbom, Marincin, Schultz, potentially Darnell Nurse, a real young defence?’ ”

Ferraro: “I don’t think you can do that. I just think you’re asking way too much from young people to do that, not at that position.”

Here are the players that Edmonton Journal hockey writer Jim Matheson has rumoured the Oilers might well pick up this summer: Matt Greene and Deryk Engelland.

And here are some of the defencemen the Oilers have brought in in recent years through trade or free agent signings to help “solve” their problems on the blueline: Anton Belov, Nick Schultz, Corey Potter, Andrew Ference, Philip Larsen, Andy Sutton, Ryan Whitney, Mark Fistric, Jim Vandermeer, Mark Fraser, Kurtis Foster, Jason Strudwick, Cam Barker and Colten Teubert.

My take?

First, I put a lot of stock in Matheson’s reporting. No doubt some Oilers insiders are keen or have been keen on Greene and Engelland. Both are trending down in their careers, but the Oilers have a sweet tooth for this kind of player.

Of the players brought in recently, not one of them has trended up with the Oilers and staked a claim as a solid Top 4 NHL d-man, which is why the Oilers are so hungry for players who can succeed in that role right now.

Only Anton Belov, Nick Schultz, Corey Potter and Andrew Ference were decent pick-ups for the bottom-pairing, though Schultz and Ference didn’t come cheaply, Schultz in terms of the Oilers moving Tom Gilbert, Ference in terms of his salary.

Whitney’s price was huge (Lubo Visnovsky) but he was strong until injuries ruined his career.

Sutton and Fistric were no hell moving the puck, but both provided a needed physical element, especially Sutton.

All the others? Vandermeer, Larsen, Fraser, Foster, Strudwick, Barker and Teubert? Such trades and signings indicate a serious problem with the Oilers pro scouting, which is partly why so many Oilers fans are now reacting badly to the rumours that the team might well pursue Engelland and/or Greene.

Why do Oilers keep picking up d-men trending down?

How many fans here have faith in the Oilers pro scouts to properly identify talent, and to also identify players on their way up, not on their way down?

Scoring chances +/- subject to QualComp and ZS

Why is it that the Oilers can no longer identify that defenceman in his mid-20s, a guy on the cusp of making it as a solid NHL d-man, but just needing a chance for more ice time?

Can’t the Oilers find the modern equivalent of Craig Muni, Jason Smith or Steve Staios? Why aren’t the Oilers going after that kind of d-men right now, instead of more d-men near or at the end of their NHL usefulness?

Why do the Oilers keep getting it wrong?

To rate player ZoneStarts and Quality of Competition must be factored with scoring chances plus-minus

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